The Land and Soil Management Award 2024/2025
The prize rewards land use and soil management practices mitigating soil threats i.e. soil degradation, erosion, reduction of organic matter content, diffuse contamination, and compaction as well as the reduction of soil biodiversity, salinization, sealing, flooding and landslides. In doing so, the award sheds light on outstanding achievements, encouraging new concepts of land and soil protection and their implementation in land management, as well as enhancing awareness about the importance of land and soil functions, in Europe and extended territories.
Benedikt Bösel and his team from the German project Gut & Bösel have been awarded the prestigious Land and Soil Management Award for the 2025 edition. The award was presented on stage during the Annual Conference of the Forum for the Future of Agriculture.
Who can apply?
Farmers, landowners, land managers, groups of farmers, on their own or in collaboration with research institutes, universities and/or private companies, operating in Europe and extended territories.
Why apply?
To recognize the great value of the farmer’s work, by promoting the winning project as a good practice at the European level. Also, to enhance the visibility of such ways of farming at the local, national as well as European scale and to encourage the farmers to further develop their work in a sustainable path.
5.000 € is awarded to the winning project every year. The Jury can also award a Diploma of Recognition.
How to apply?
The call for applications of the 2024/2025 edition is now Closed.
Please note: the application should preferably be filled out in English. If the application chooses another language a well-structured English summary of the project should be enclosed.
Submit your project via e-mail to the Award Coordinator at emmanuelle.mikosz@elo.org and share your success!
Download the Application Form here
Deadline
The call for applications is closed.
Members of the Jury
- BOKU University, Martin H. GERZABEK, Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Dr.h.c.mult. – President of the Jury
- European Commission DG AGRI, Kerstin ROSENOW, Head of Unit Research & Innovation
- European Commission DG ENV, Ion CODESCU, Head of Unit Land Use and Management
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Serenella SALA, Head of the Land Resources and Supply Chain Assessments Unit
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Arwyn JONES, JRC Scientist, Soil science
- European Landowners’ Organization, Thierry de L’ESCAILLE, Executive President
- KU Leuven, Maarten EVERAERT, Assistant Professor Soil Science & Soil Fertility
- Ljubljana University, Dr. Franc LOBNIK, Emeritus Prof.
- Syngenta, Max NEWBER, Soil Health & Carbon Farming Technical Lead at Syngenta in EAME
Contact
emmanuelle.mikosz@elo.orgPrevious winners
| 2025 | Winner | Gut & Bösel | Link |
| 2025 | Diploma of Recognition | San Giorgio Soil Regeneration Project - Rudolf Freiherr von Freyberg-Eisenberg | |
| 2025 | Diploma of Recognition | Joseph’s Dream - Jacques Naudé | Link |
| 2024 | Winner | Halage, led by Adrien Rogissart, France | Link |
| 2024 | Diploma of Recognition | Bokrijk Soil and Heritage Conservation led by Jeroen Franssens, Belgium | Link |
| 2024 | Diploma of Recognition | Le Jardin des Saveurs led by Sandrine de Moerloose & Arnaud van der Straten, Belgium | Link |
| 2023 | Winner | Improving Soil Health through experimental regenerative agriculture practices, by Klompe Landbouw, Mijnsheerenland, The Netherlands | Link |
| 2023 | Diploma of Recognition | The Blaston regenerative farm, UK | Link |
| 2023 | Diploma of Recognition | Innolivar, Spain | Link |
| 2022 | Winner | Improving soil aggregation for soil protection, soil improvement, proper water management, carbon storage and food safety, by the Geographical Institute, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungary | Link |
| 2021 | Winner | Improving soil biodiversity and humus content for better soil fertility and climate, by Zvone Černelič, Farm Černelič, Slovenia | |
| 2021 | Diploma of Recognition | Zukunft Erde – humus formation program, by RWA, Austria | Link |
| 2021 | Diploma of Recognition | The Land and Soil Management at the Petr Marada ́s Ecofarm, by Petr Marada, Czech republic | |
| 2021 | Diploma of Recognition | Carbon Action, by the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG), Finland | Link |
| 2021 | Diploma of Recognition | La Junquera: fighting land degradation with regenerative practices in South Spain, by Alfonso Chico de Guzman, Spain | Link |
| 2020 | Winner | ORTO 2.0, by Lorenzo Artibani, Italy | |
| 2020 | Diploma of Recognition | A research and demonstration agroforestry experimental site in Ramecourt, by Antione Dequidt & partners, Northern France | |
| 2019 | Winner | GROW Observatory, UK | Link |
| 2019 | Diploma of Recognition | Breakthrough in Soil Technology for Precision Nutrient Management by near-infrared spectroscopy, by John Deere GmbH&Co. KG, Germany | Link |
| 2018 | Winner | Preservation of soil health and fertility by implementing new concepts of land management, by Galina Dimitrova Peycheva-Miteva, Bulgaria | |
| 2018 | Diploma of Recognition | Holistic Management Regenerating Agricultural Soils, by Africa Centre for Holistic Management, Zimbabwe | Link |
| 2017 | Winner | Healthy Soil for Healthy Food, by 59 Austrian farmers, SPAR and WWF Austria | |
| 2016 | Winner | Creating new land and soil management opportunities under Mediterranean soil and climatic limitations, by Portalimpex, Lda, Portugal | Link |
| 2015 | Winner | Soil Regeneration at West Woodhay Farms, by West Woodhay Farms, UK | |
| 2014 | Winner | The Pontbren Project, by the Pontbren Farmers Group, Wales | |
| 2013 | Winner | Global approach for a sustainable agroecosystem, by E.A.R.L. Lefebvre, France | |
| 2012 | Winner | Certified course “soil practitioner” for crop and grassland farmers, by Bio Austria, Austria | Link |
| 2011 | Winner | The Land Stewardship Network, by Jordi Pietx, Spain | |
| 2010 | Winner | Little things mean a lot, by Erlendur Björnsson, Iceland | |
| 2009 | Winner | Jistebnice Highlands, by Jana Maděrová, Czech republic |
